HermanMillerKIVO™

T H E O F F I C E I S C H A N G I N G

Office space has fundamentally changed and continues to keep changing. Where there was once a clear distinction between work areas, meeting rooms, private offices and boardrooms, the lines are now blurred. Our behaviour has changed too. Today’s working culture is about fostering the sharing of information and championing new ideas – so people need to find new spaces to engage in new activities. Which means reshaping the workplace to dynamically support the way we work today.

Herman Miller’s designs have always encouraged the evolution of the office. We’ve been in tune with new working patterns since the introduction of Action Office in the early 1960s, and we’ve always adapted our approach with inspiring designs to help people do great things. In today’s workplace the meaning of space has never been more open to interpretation or more varied. For us, that requires a flexible, adaptable system. Something inspirational. Something unique.

All offices are not created equal, which is why we’ve made the KIVO structure lightweight and easy to adapt. So that those who use the space can also define the space.

It’s human nature to seek out your own space. We instinctively look for areas in which to think, to escape and to collaborate. We also use physical boundaries to influence our activities, signal a change of behaviour, and encourage functionality. But balancing these human needs in the increasingly open workplace is a difficult task – there has to be a fine balance between open space and privacy, which is where KIVO excels.

We’ve introduced a system that helps redefine the way people work. People know exactly what they need to do, and they intuitively know the best place to do it; KIVO was designed to help them articulate this – that’s where its simplicity shines through. It’s a system that divides existing areas, provides privacy and outlines entirely new places to work in. KIVO simply transforms the workplace.

T H I S I S K I V O

KIVO’s simple construction utilises justfive components enabling easy re-configuration with just one Allen key.

Herman Miller has a long heritage of working with talented designers from around the world – it was a young German designer named Alexander Lorenz whose blend of precision and playfulness brought KIVO to us. His vision was of a modular, free-standing system which would be defined by how people wanted to work. Alex was drawn to the geometry of the triangle due to its simplicity and versatility. To realise KIVO’s true potential, he developed a complex algorithm which allowed him to digitally model thousands of different structural combina-tions. Having realised the potential, we developed and validated a concise range of settings to suit individual and group work in combination with other products from the Herman Miller portfolio.

D E S I G N I N G K I V O

KIVO’s design took inspiration from particle physics – the idea that something large is made of lots of smaller components. In the case of KIVO, its strength and efficient use of materials comes from its geodesic structure.

KIVO transforms the workplace into a flexible canvas on which to expand or adapt. The combination of a lightweight steel skeleton and simple magnetic tiles allows the system to be moved and recon-figured with ease. As required, different areas can be designed and redesigned over and over again. KIVO is made to simply move and adapt when floor plans change. It’s an approach that is driven by the evolving workplace.

F L E X I B L E K I VO

Herman Miller’s human-centred approach helped bring KIVO to life. Our recommended product settings are based on in-depth global research which defines 10 modes of work within an office environment.

KIVO has the ability to create different spaces across the office floor. Each new area is functional and appropriate to any intended task – the lightweight free-standing system can simply delineate an area or repurpose it for something completely new. It’s left to the designer to be as creative as they wish, suggesting areas that have many possible functions – one system with multiple variations. Integral to this creativity is KIVO’s shape – the equilateral triangle – chosen for its strength, versatility and visual simplicity.

I N S P I R AT I O N A L K I V O

Creating the mathematical algorithm to map the possibilities of KIVO took almost as long as choosing materials and developing components. But it was crucial to the design.

Redefining where you work can redefine how you work. Whether it’s a space that offers individual respite from interruption, or an area that encour-ages collaboration without distracting others, the KIVO system uses its simple geometry to great effect. With a combination of acoustic dampening materials and visual screening, an open space can be transformed into a private escape with clear boundaries. Secluded areas are quickly and simply carved out of the open workplace.

P E R S O N A L K I V O

KIVO’s structure helps to dampen surrounding noise, as sound waves are ‘trapped’ in air pockets between tiles. The irregular surface of the tile helps diffuse the remaining sound waves that are not ‘absorbed’ by the structure.

While KIVO functions as an essential demarcation of space, it can also make a powerful architectural statement. Finishes range from bold colours to lighterhues. The delicate, polished steel skeleton provides a strong framework, while the felt tile adds a tactile element to the structure. The lightweight triangular modules also give a unique sense of design in a variety of combinations and patterns – a geometric mosaic that’s as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional.

I M PA C T F U LK I V O

Since the American Architect, Buckminster Fuller pioneered Geodesic structures in the mid-20th century, they have revolutionised the built environment – enabling Architects to realise organic forms with impressive strength to weight ratio’s. KIVO translates this principle into the interior built environment.

Frame finish: Polished Steel

File fabric option: F U LD EX / Polyester 80%, Viscose 20%

File fabric option: BL A Z ER / Pure New Wool 100%

graphite melange59E14

st martinsZ1A1X

dunhurstZ1A58

grey melange59E11

newcastleZ1A1W

camphillZ1A1K

brown melange59E22

edge hillZ1A90

latymerZ1A33

C O L O U R F U LK I V O

KIVO is available in over fifty standard configurations.

To learn more please visit www.hermanmiller.co.uk/kivo